Larry Wilmore's show was a victim of our reluctance to discuss race

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Those days dragged by, he said, but the level of support from fans and the media also surprised him: their messages were uplifting, despite a sadness that followed.

“It’s tough because you get such an outpouring as you’re leaving, and it’s hard not to wonder, like: ‘Where was this audience when the show was on?’” he said. “It’s frustrating, but mostly because it’s the reality of untraditional ways people consume shows these days.”

Though the new ways people watch television may have hurt the ratings his show needed to survive, Wilmore was quick to note that new media platforms have let diverse voices, long excluded from major networks, gain footholds in media and entertainment.

Wilmore said he was still trying to sort through the deluge of thinkpieces and messages that say the cancellation of The Nightly Show has erased an important voice.

“I don’t know what the cancellation says about the state of black voices in media and entertainment,” he said. “It’s hard for me to say, because right now I’m in the eye of the hurricane. Throughout my entire career, I’ve always tried to fix that issue of underrepresentation, so I’m proud of the work that we’ve done thus far.”

Wilmore said that one of his biggest accomplishments with The Nightly Showwas the diverse group that worked both in front of and behind the camera.

His other proudest accomplishment, he said, was his unfailing commitment to “keeping it 100”.

“Many times when you do what I do, or work in journalism, in general, people try to not explicitly present their opinions on topics,” he said. “I think the term ‘fair reporting’ is overused when it comes to journalism. I think saying they want to report evenly is more accurate.”

Though Wilmore said he thought “even reporting” was an admirable approach, it was far from his goal: he wanted to be 100% honest, all of the time.

“To keep it 100, I couldn’t always be even,” he said. “I had to drop that pretense and if I thought a certain side was wrong, I had to call it that way. I couldn’t be concerned with what side that was.”

As an example, Wilmore said he has criticized Hillary Clinton almost as much as he has criticized Donald Trump.

“I’ve had people mad at me for doing that, but what can I do if I want to keep it 100?” he said. “Do they want me to act like I don’t think the things I’m saying? It wouldn’t be right.”

Wilmore acknowledged his disappointment with Comedy Central’s decision, but reflected that his time on The Night Show and The Daily Show helped develop his voice.

Though he’s always been interested in using satire and humor to comment on race and politics, Wilmore said The Daily Showgave him the first chance to project his own voice rather than write for other people.

“That was my first chance to work on something that was really coming out of my mouth,” he said. “So I’d say The Daily Show really started my awareness of my socio- political voice, and The Nightly Showtook it to the next level.”

It was on The Nightly Showthat he realized his political voice was not what even he expected.

“If you’re writing for different people all the time, it’s easier to bury yourself in someone else’s voice,” he said. “Even though you’re writing for them, you’re still expressing your opinions and point of view, but you’re doing it while being able to hide in their voice.”

He said he frequently surprised himself when he was required to take a public stand on the show.

“I had never thought that much about the Confederate flag because I grew up in California,” he said, alluding to a segment on persistent controversy around the symbol. “I’d seen those types of things, but not like in the south where it is in your face all the time.”

Reporting on the flag, he said, forced him to confront a reality that he hand never had to see before, and which drew out emotions that surprised him.

Wilmore also tried to reassure fans about the quality of satire still running, saying that Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and John Oliver immediately came to mind.

“Plus, there’s so much incredible written press, and so many great shows on YouTube, and, you know, hopefully I’ll be back soon to do my thing,” he said. “The show just ended last night, so I haven’t had a chance to breathe, but during the next week I’ll definitely be thinking about how to best get back out there.”